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East and West noted in the sketch are Martian E/W, not celestial E/W.
Observation Notes:
The dark band of Mare Cimmerium and the point of Syrtis Minor were prominent along the southern hemisphere. The South polar Cap was not as prominent as it was a month ago. It looks like I also picked up the division between Cimmerium and Tyrrhenum. There appeared to be dark material arrayed broadly around the SPC. (Not the thin dark border I’ve been seeing–this feature was softer and much broader.) The bright patch of Hellas on the southwestern limb almost appeared as a second polar cap when I first looked. I didn’t pick up any detail in the northern hemisphere. I saw no hint of Utopia.
| Subject | Mars |
| Classification | Planet |
| Position* | Aries [RA: 02:54:37 / Dec: +13:45:45] |
| Size* | 13.6″ (Equatorial diameter) |
| Brightness* | -0.92 |
| Date/Time | August 27, 2005 – 1:30 AM (August 27, 2005 – 08:30 UT) |
| Observing Loc. | Flagstaff, AZ – Home |
| Instrument | Orion SVP 6LT Reflector (150 mm dia./1200 mm F/L) |
| Eyepieces/Mag. | 10 mm Sirius Plössl+ 2X Barlow (240X) |
| Conditions | Clear, calm, 49° F |
| Seeing | Ant. III-IV |
| Transparency | Mag 5.2 NELM |
| *Sources | Orion’s The Sky Astronomy Software |
Chech out mars tonight, as it will be just like a full moon, and be as big as one too! I”m calling all my friends and family and telling them to stay up to 12:30 am, to see this majestic sight. No of us today will ever be able to see this ever again, except for out great x 50-grand children ( probably 50th generation or more from now). Its gonna be tight! SO stay up and wittness history in the making.
Hi CAR,
I hate to throw a wet blanket on this story, but Mars will never pass close enough to Earth to look as large as a full moon to the naked eye. In order for Mars to appear that large, you will need to use a telescope at high power. In 2007 Mars’ closest opposition will occur in December. Even then, it will merely look like a bright orange star to the naked eye. You may have gotten this news from a virulent email that has been circulating annually, every August since 2003. More information about this hoax email can be found here.
However, a beautiful sight is coming up for the early morning of August 28th. That morning, a Lunar eclipse will take place with the Moon taking on a dark red color as it passes through the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will be at its peak from 2:52 – 4:22 am on the west coast of the US, or from 5:22 – 7:22 am on the east coast. This is definitely something to wake up early for.
Jeremy